The Stable at D&AD: Underrepresented talent in adland Australia gets a powerpack – Pulse, Rare & D&AD Shift team up

May 23, 2019

Diversity is lacking in advertising in Australia. We all know that. Diverse underrepresented talent and minority voices are finding brick walls bar their entry. Pulse has stepped in to help.

Pulse is one of Australia’s leading consumer brand marketing agencies and part of Australia’s largest PR agency OPR, so its stand is significant. Plus it has partnered with Rare Global. That adds a powerpack. It is also the funding of the first D&AD Shift in Sydney – a first for a PR firm in Australia to do so.

The partnership between Rare and Pulse began May 24, with Pulse sponsoring the two-day Rare masterclass in Sydney. At Friday’s event it was announced that Pulse will sponsor the D&AD Shift program as it enters the Australian market. In its first year in Australia, Shift’s 12-week program is to help aspiring creative talent from underrepresented backgrounds get their break in the industry.

“The partnership between Rare and Pulse will allow talented up-and-comers in our industry to be inspired and grow their network to help shape their future,” stated Jacqui Abbott, managing director, Pulse.

“Our agency has been built on diverse hires and diverse voices to shape the creative we deliver for our clients, so we are really excited to be working more closely with Rare. We’re committed to supporting this initiative – not only because it’s the right thing to do, but also because it furthers our mission to see more minority talent working in the industry.”

The agency also becomes a pipeline for internships giving unique and creative talent around Australia a pipeline into the agency that represents Netflix, Ford, IKEA, KFC, Coca-Cola, eBay, Australian Eggs, UBank and The Star Entertainment Group.